United Left Annual Conference 582AER
The ULC Annual Conference has been held in Balranico. It has been the largest one it has ever held, as 7 MPs speak, 18 MPs attend and 4,000 party members and supporters join us and rally behind our party's Members of Parliament. Alberto Garzón, Leader of United Left “Thank you, thank you friends. It’s great to be in Balranico and I want to start by thanking somebody, from the bottom of my heart to the kindess of words. Not Pedro, although I would like to give a round of applause to Pedro, everyone. Not my dad, but a woman called Joss Tittensor. Joss fell off her bike the other week. *some of the audience laugh* It’s not funny *rest of audience laugh with the leader *. I helped her up and she thanked me. Me and Joss have been friends ever since. '' ''I want to start today with the simplest of thoughts. An idea that has inspired change for generations. The belief that helped drive us out of the Second World War and into that great reforming government of 549. An ambition that is more important now than it’s been for decades. An emotion that is felt across our empire, across our kitchen tables every night. A feeling that is so threatening to those who want to keep things as they are. Words that are so basic and yet so powerful, so modest and yet so hard to believe. 6 simple words that say; ‘Let’s hope for a better future’. '' ''Are you satisfied with an empire where people are working harder and longer for less, year after year? Are you satisfied with an empire divided, losing touch with things we value the most? Are you satisfied with an empire that shuts out the voices of millions of ordinary people and listens only to the powerful? Are you satisfied with an empire standing apart as 2 separate nations? Well I’m not satisfied. We’re Falleentium, we deserve better. '' ''We have to rebuild a new One Nation. An economy built your success, a society based on your values, a politics that hears your voice, rich and poor alike, accepting responsibilities to each other, One Nation, we’re going to make that happen and today I will tell you how. I want to start with leadership. Leadership is about risks and tough decisions, it’s about those moments where you have to pierce deep into your soul. I founded this party, it was really hard for my family, but I believed that Falleentium needed to turn a page, and I am the best person to do it. When I founded this party, I faced a decision on whether we should stand up to the rich. It wasn’t the way things had been done in the past, but it was the right thing to do, so I did. '' ''Together we made that decision. And 5 years later, I faced an even bigger decision on whether our party should join a wartime coalition, the biggest decision a leader ever faces, the biggest decision any political party faces. All of us were horrified by the appalling nuclear attacks in Lantru. We must learn the lessons of this war. '' ''The real test of leadership is not whether you stand up to the week, that’s easy. It’s whether you stand strong and know who to fight for. I’m reminded of a story back when I was starting out, while I was standing for the parliament in the last election. There was a woman called Hildred Broadbent. Hildred was in her 60s, and there I was, trying to get her vote, sitting in the front room and sipping a cup of tea, and she said to me ‘How can you, an unexperienced man young wealthy man, possibly understand the lives of the lower classes, their hopes and their struggles?’ It was the right question. Here’s the answer. For me it lies in the values I was brought up with. You see, in my house it was my dad who taught me these values, about the importance of reaching out to people and understanding their hopes and their struggles. He’s the most patient and generous person I’ve met in my whole life and he taught me never to be contemptuous of others, never to be dismissive of their struggles. Now, he was teaching me a lesson in life, and people would just say you’ve got to put decency behind when it comes to politics. Well I say they’re wrong, because only if you reach out and listen can you do the most important thing a leader can do, the most important qualification, in my view, for being chancellor. Only then will you have the ability to walk in the shoes of others and know who to fight for, whoever your opponent, however powerful they are, guided by the only thing that matters, your sense of what is right. This is what I believe, this is where I stand, this is the leadership Falleentium needs. When I think about who we need to fight for, I think about all the people I met over the last year. I think of the people of Falleentium and their enormous and extraordinary spirit. I think of our troops, serving so bravely around the world, let us pay tribute to them today. '' ''You know, I’ve seen men come back from war in Suttacasia, young men who are young enough to be my son, serving our empire, and war is a truly horrific experience for someone of that age. '' ''I think of our brave men and women of our police force who serve with so little credit, each and every day for our empire, let us thank them for what they do. '' ''I think of all of the people I’ve met over the last year. A few weeks ago, I went to a town centre and I was meeting common people. When I was about to leave, this man wondered up and he was incredibly angry. We’ve got families here, so I won’t repeat what he said *audience laughs*. He was so angry that he wouldn’t give me his name, but he did tell me his story, about how he spent the last 10 years looking after his disabled wife and another 4 years looking for a job and not finding one. He was angry about immigration, and some people booed him, but he wasn’t actually prejudiced, he just didn’t feel that the economy worked for him, and then I think about the two market traders I met in Drosst, standing by their stalls, out in all weathers, working all hours and they said ‘look, this empire doesn’t seem to be rewarding our hard work and effort. There seems to be some people earning something for nothing. This society is losing touch with our values.’ Then I think about this sunny, beautiful spring day I spent in Port Katharina, and the face in the crowd, this young woman, who said she was an ambulance controller, so proud to be working for the health industry. '' ''And so proud, to, of her young son because she was a single parent, 27 years old and what she said to me was ‘Why does everyone portray me as a burden on the system? I’m not a burden on the system, I’m going out there, I’m doing the right thing for our empire. Why doesn’t anyone listen to my voice?’ Then I think about this scaffolder I met, just around the corner from where I live, I was just coming back from another co-operating business, he stopped me in the street and he said to me ‘Where is your bodyguard?’ *audience laughs with the leader* I said I don’t have one, but that’s a different story, he told me his story and what he said to me was ‘I go out, I do the work, I go all around the country in all weathers, I earn a decent wage and I still can’t make ends meet.’ He then said to me ‘Is anyone ever going to do anything about those gas and electric bills that just go up and up and up, faster than I can earn a living?’ He wanted someone to fight for him. Now, if you listen to these stories, 4 of just millions of stories in this empire and you have your own and so do your friends and family. What do you learn? These people love Falleentium. They embody its great spirit but they all believe that Falleentium can do better. Today I say to them, and millions of others, your right. Falleentium can do better, Falleentium must be better, Falleentium will be better with a government that fights for you. '' ''But for Falleentium to do better, we’ve got to understand why we’ve got here. Why things are so tough now, even while they tell you there’s a recovery. Unless we put things right, there will only be a recovery for the few. Now, what I’m about to tell you is the most important thing I am going to say today about what needs to change about this empire. For generations in Falleentium, when the economy grew, the majority got better off, and then somewhere along the way that vital link between the growing wealth of the country and your family finances was broken. This goes beyond one party or one government. It’s more important to you than which party is in power, even more important than that. When I was growing up, in the 550s, I saw the benefits of growing prosperity, people able to buy a house, a car and even a second car, go on a holiday that their parents would have never even of dreamed of, not spend all their hours at work, able to spend time with their kids, not working all of the hours the gods send, have a secure pension in retirement and also believe that their kids will have a better life than them. That feels a long way away from where Falleentium is today, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. You see, somewhere along the way, that link got broken. They used to say a rising tide lifts all boats, now the rising tide just seems to lift the yachts. Friends, the easy path for politics is to divide. That’s the easy path. You need to know this about me. I believe in seeing the best in people, not the worst. That’s what I’m about. That’s how we create One Nation. That’s how we make Falleentium better than this. That’s how we have a government that fights for you. Now, it is going to be a big fight between now and the federal election. Prepare yourself for that fight. When you think about that fight, don’t think about our party, think about our empire. I don’t want to win this fight for United Left. I want to win it for Falleentium. And just remember this. Throughout our history, when the voices of hope have been raised against the voices of fear, the voices of hope have won through. Those that said, at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, that working people needed the vote and they wouldn’t wait. They knew Falleentium could be better and we were. Those that said, at the birth of a new century, that working people needed a party to fight for them and the old order wouldn’t do. They know Falleentium could be better and we were. Those that said, in the Second World War, that Falleentium needed to rebuild after the Second World War. They know that Falleentium could be better and we were. And those that said, later on in the century and the battle for equality was still young, they knew that Falleentium could be better and we were. Now it falls to us, to build One Nation, an empire for all, a Falleentium we rebuild together. Falleentium’s best days lie ahead. Falleentium can do better. We’re Falleentium, we can do better. I’ll lead a government that fights for you! Thank you very much!” Dolores Ibárruri, Deputy Leader of United Left “Thank you. Conference, this week we’ve had hours of passionate debate, hundreds of Fringe meetings and, most importantly, delivered a One Nation fiscal stimulus for the bars here in Balranico *audience laughs*. We began this morning with Alberto Garzón’s fantastic conference speech, and with 4,000 people here, the biggest gathering the United Left has ever held, proving that United Left is the only party for all people and what a contrast with the other parties. James Brokenshire believes that workers should be seen, not heard and that’s particularly when he’s thinking about his own party MPs. As for the UFID, where to begin? What can you say about the human car crash that is Jakob Kjaerskov, a man that is very unconstructed. But Kjaerskov, all is not lost. If you’ve got some time on your hands, I will arrange a special emergency session for you at the Dolores Ibárruri Institute of Political Correctness *audience laughs*. Kjaerskov, the good news is that I will be on hand to give you some advanced one-to-one training. And as for the Popular Republican Movement, the Popular Republican workers are an endangered species. During the last deputy leadership election, Soong and I both agreed that we would do a bit of positive action and let one man in. Our leader, Alberto Garzón. Picquet also wanted to come to but I said to him ‘sorry, we’ve already got a man on the platform and he’s called Alberto.’ Conference, in Alberto Garzón, we have a great leader. Alberto, we hoped you did a good speech earlier, but you gave an amazing speech, thank you. Alberto has an unerring ability to understand the concerns that people have in their everyday lives. It was Alberto that warned that we’re seeing, for the first time, a generation who won’t do as well as the one that went before, something every parent worries about. Then when Brokenshire and Vestergaard wallowed in complacency, Alberto was the one who spoke out about the cost of living crisis and when Alberto sees something’s wrong, he will not shrink from the challenge. He will never say that ‘it’s just too difficult’ or ‘the odds are stacked against us’ or ‘you’ll just have to put up with high energy bills because otherwise the energy companies won’t like it’ because Alberto fights for what’s right. People often feel in this day and age that there are forces which are just too big and powerful for politics to make a difference, but Alberto has shown, even from opposition, the ability to make change. He has shown that politics can make a difference, but if Alberto is also about a new kind of politics, and that shines through everything that he does. '' ''Sheldon Whitehouse had the nerve to stand up at his conference and claim that he had been a break on the Conservatives. With the Popular Republicans, it’s not just collusion, it’s obviously delusion too. '' ''Conference, let’s not talk about us being in coalition, United Left is not fighting for a draw, United Left is fighting to win. '' ''Conference, we know we face a huge task task. It’s been 7 years since the last election. The Conservatives will fight a dirty, vicious campaign and Patrick McLoughlin will be the ringmaster for the right-wing press but remember, this is not a popular party. They are fighting for the wrong people, they will ruin the economy, they will ruin our health services and people know it. We will not lose our nerves. The polls which are most important are the ones where people actually vote, and in state elections, the Conservative parties are losing seats. Since Alberto Garzón created this party, United Left has gained 3,200 members. Those are the polls you won’t read about in the newspapers, but those are the polls that count. Thank you very much.” Barbara Nowacka, Spokesperson of United Left “Well, thank you Dolores. It’s great to be here in Balranico and to have the chance to meet our brilliant parliamentary candidates. I know that with their tenacity and your help, we will be painting this town red again. '' ''Conference, there’s not long to go before the next federal election, less than 4 weeks to be precise, and I’m proud to be speaking for United Left in the run-up to that federal election, proud to be working with you as we fight for victory this year and looking forward to our leader, Alberto Garzón, walk to the Chancellery office as our next Chancellor. '' ''Conference, we all know that an election victory won’t just drop in to our laps. We all know that together we’re facing the biggest fight of our political lives and our single purpose, over those next 4 weeks, is to show the empire that we’re ready for government, that we are up to the challenge of solving the cost of living crisis, that we will build an economy that works for working people. That’s why our policy process is so important, and that’s why the work of our MPs is at the heart of our preparations for that federal election fight. So I’d like to thank our frontbench team: Christian Picquet, Ye Jianying, Zail Singh, James Kinley, Nafarroako Batua and all of the others for all of their hard work over the last year. '' ''I’d also like to thank every United Left MP for what they’ve contributed, the policies on issues you prioritized over the last 7 years and the many talking points published in our manifesto. We have written a One Nation manifesto to put before the empire. We know we’re in the fight for the future of our empire and none of us can afford to sit on the side-lines. '' ''James Brokenshire knows his time is running out, and for us women especially, the upcoming election couldn’t come soon enough. Some of you will already know that the leader of the CCU is not really my type *audience laughs*. I like people who keep their promises. If I had a Fall for every promise the CCU Leader’s broken, I’d be in his tax bracket *audience laughs*. Let’s face it, conference, with a record like his you only really need something much more substantial than a towel to hide your embarrassment on the beach *audience laughs*. Remember his pre-election pledges that ludicrously airbrushed portrait, his promise to the Falleen people, I’ll cut the deficit, not our health services. 7 years later, we’ve got 30,000 fewer nurses, hospital departments at breaking point and huge top-down reorganization to flog off parts of our health services to the highest bidder. And who has influenced this to happen? The CCU. '' ''It doesn’t have to be like this. We can change this empire, so it works for working people, but we need your help. Your enthusiasm has helped us get to this point. You’ve organised policy discussion events, you’ve debated on your Falleentium, you’ve given us your views but now is the time to move up a gear. Together, we have made a future-winning manifesto that captures the promise of Falleentium, that inspires those who are cynical, that gives hope to those who’ve given up, that once again makes our country believe in the power of politics to change people’s lives and, conference, working together we can and we will do it. Thank you very much.” Nafarroako Batua, United Left Parliamentary Whip and Spokesperson for Science and Innovation “Conference, Angela is 89. She lives on her own, hard of hearing, she finds it difficult to have conversations on the phone. In just 10 months, her monthly electricity bill jumped from 53 Fall to 68 Fall. She couldn’t afford the new payments, so the debt built up. Her energy company wanted it to be repaid in full. Angela has never been debt before. Frightened, she turned her heating off. Embarrassed that her flat was too cold, Angela stopped inviting her friends over too. Jackie is 37. She’s a mum with 2 kids, both her and her husband work, but after a few cold winters, the gap between what Jackie could afford and her bills left her in debt too. Now she’s worried, about what will happen if prices rise again this winter. James Brokenshire and Keir Starmer say that the economy is fixed, and welfare needs to be reduced, but for people like Angela and Jackie, things are getting harder, not easier. They are at least getting some help from charities, but millions more face the same problems and worse. Unfolding day by day, in kitchens and living rooms, in every town and every village north, south, east and west is a cost of living crisis. Of course, the worst off are the hardest hit, but everyone’s living standards are under attack. People who always thought themselves comfortable now feel under pressure. Now the slightest misfortune, a broker boiler, a faulty fridge or another inflation-busting rise in their energy bills can mean real hardship. So, if there was ever a time for action over energy prices, it’s now. '' ''Together we can build a better Falleentium, a Falleentium where energy we share is secure, affordable and clean. A Falleentium where Angela, and millions like her, can warm their homes without fearing the bill. A Falleentium to which we all truly belong, for the many, not the few, a Falleentium built by United Left. James Kinley, United Left Spokesperson for Education "Ladies and gentlemen, the people of Falleentium and the supporters of ULC. Thank you all for coming today. Before I start I'd like to thank the leaders of the party for giving me the opportunity of being the Spokesperson for Education. It is a pleasure to be here. '' ''So, I´ll present you some of my plans. I'd like to soon start so far, an unnamed project. The project will be about building new schools and upgrading the built ones to better ones. We'll support the schools, for example, with raised money we'll get from volunteers who’d like to help and we're also going to reconstitute some parts of few schools that really need it. That's all I can tell you so far about the plans. Thank you all for listening to me today. Bye, have a good day." Pablo Iglesias, United Left Spokesperson for Defence “Conference, it’s very hard to follow Nafarroako and that fantastic speech, but I want to start with some good news, that I will be making a short speech. That’s not supposed to be the most popular thing I say *audience laughs*, and then we’re going to hear from Ramaswamy and I like that. '' ''Anyway, I don’t want it, in one short speech, ruin the entire defence budget of the United Left government so I’ll maybe get on with my speech *audience laughs*. Look, quite rightly and understandably there’s been a huge focus this year on Shiha, but I want to start by paying tribute to a group of men and women who have been involved in a bloody conflict, because Lantru can not become a forgotten war. Too many people have been lost and too much is at stake for that to happen and then a country in a conflict with no pure military solution. The progress that is being made is down, in large part, to the thousands of members of the Falleen Armed Forces in Shiha. Our party, and our empire, should hold them in our thoughts and pay tribute to their service and their sacrifice. '' ''Some people say that it would just cost a few million Fall to keep Falleentium safe. The truth is, we remain a big nation for a global reach, and under Alberto’s leadership, we will continue to stand for that tradition. I stood up for what we believe at home, projecting power and influence abroad and always honouring the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces, regardless where they serve. Thank you, conference.” Ramaswamy Venkataraman, United Left Spokesperson for Justice “Thank you, Pablo. Conference, our justice system, our One Nation justice system, relies on a fundamental principle: confidence. Victims, witnesses and communities must have confidence in the system. Victims need confidence, so they report crimes. Witnesses need confidence, so they come forward and give evidence to the police and in trials. Communities need confidence that those committing crimes will be caught and properly punished. Confidence is precious, but it’s also fragile. We must do all we can to protect this confidence, but we’ve got to do more than that. We want to take steps to increase people’s confidence in our justice system and today I’ll be spelling out how we can do that, but first let me outline why we such a problem. Too many incidents over recent years have damaged people’s confidence. Did the Hopper family have confidence after the way they were treated at the trial of Arabella’s murderer? Does putting Arabella’s parents through mental torture, as Arabella’s sister described it? It leads to confidence in the system. Or when the victims of vile sexual grooming are told, by the authorities, it’s a lifestyle choice? Or when young 4 year old boys are let down? Does it really promote confidence when a 14 year old victim of sexual abuse is called a sexual predator? Bad enough? It’s bad when a prosecution lawyer says it, but a disgrace when a judge says it too! '' ''So conference, what would a One Nation United Left justice policy mean? 1. When someone reports a crime, the police will tell them what action will be taken and will keep them regularly updated. 2. When someone’s charged with an offense, victims will track the progress of the case using modern technology, from the beginning to the end, charge to sentence. 3. Victims will be kept informed when the offender is released from custody. Simple, common-sense changes that would transform thousands of lives. Conference, we need a change of culture, but that needs to be led and underpinned by an act of parliament that will sweep away the worthless codes of practice that are nothing more than pieces of paper hidden away in drawers. United Left will ensure victims who, regularly complain that they aren’t aware of their rights and entitlements, will know where they stand, and so will judges, magistrates, the CPS, the police, lawyers, court officials, Victim Support probation and everyone else. '' ''We will have an attorney general, a victims commissioner and everyone else who works in the justice system on the side of victims and that will give us a One Nation justice system, because Falleentium can do better! Thank you." Category:The Imperial Constitution